Guild Life
by Kizmet
Summary: [UltX] Random Walk 3: Remy returns to New Orleans and a family he barely remembers having to find himself in the middle of a dispute he doesn't understand. Added epilog.
1. 1 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 1 

The New Orleans' night air was warm, thick with the smell of vegetation and heavy with moisture. The sounds of music drifted out into the streets blending with the noise of traffic and people in a glorious cacophony. To Remy Lebeau it was the most welcoming setting imaginable. 

This was the city he always called home, even though he'd lived there for less than six years, not even half his life. He had no fond memories of Baton Rouge; the house he'd shared with his parents had never been a home. Essex's base, the part he'd stayed in on and off between missions for the two plus years he'd been with the genetist had always reminded him of a particularly forbidding hospital. After leaving Essex he'd been on the move, living on the streets, never remaining more than a few months in any one city and that had been before Essex's henchmen had picked up his trail. Westchester was the only other place Remy had even considered thinking of as home. 

Remy found himself thinking back to his arrival at Jean-Luc's home the day before. He'd started getting nervous as the car turned into the gates of a house that tickled the edges of his memories. 

Three people had been waiting for him; His cousin Henri, he was in his mid-twenties with brown hair and a mustache that contained only a hint of the reddish tinge that Remy was starting to recognize as a family trait. His finacee Mercy Renault was blonde, stunning and dressed to show it off. And Mattie Baptiste a dark, heavy set older woman who couldn't stop grinning. 

"Tante?" Remy asked hesitantly. 

"Oui Remy," she replied. "Yo' grew up real well, chile. Yo' 'member your cousin Henri and his fiancée Mercy?" 

"Welcome home Remy," Henri said, greeting him with a warm hug. Remy stiffened with surprise, unused to being the recipient of openly affectionate gestures. Sure Logan and Scott tended to annoy him by ruffling his hair and so forth, but that was different. They didn't blatantly invade his personal space and he knew them. Henri remembered him, but Remy only had the vaguest recollections of an older boy who could have been a younger Henri lifting him up to sit on his shoulders. But even if the boy had been Henri, Remy was certain that he wasn't the excited, happy child from the scrape of a memory, at least not anymore, and not since so long ago that he couldn't even begin to identify with that child. 

Feeling Remy's reaction Henri quickly let him go. "Je desole, jus' missed mon petite cuz. We used to spend a lot of time together." 

" 'Cause I t'ought yo' were cute," Merci interjected. "Still do." 

"Why t'ank yo' chere," Remy began, "But..." Remy trailed off staring at the woman coming down the stairs, tall and willowy with long russet hair, hazel eyes and features more delicate than Remy's own, but the similarities were uncanny. 

Their eyes met across the room. Remy opened his mouth to say something, he wasn't sure what. Before he could Josette broke eye contact and continued on her way as if Remy weren't there. 

"Josy," Jean-Luc said, his voice dripping with disapproval. 

"Don' hold up dinner on m' account. 'M planning on eating in town," Josette said, blithely disregarding the source of her brother's ire. 

Jean-Luc followed her out of the room, a dark scowl on his face. 

"Bitch," Remy muttered softly. "Hate yo'. A'ways did, a'ways will." 

"Come on Rem, I'll show yo' to your room, den give yo' de grand tour," Henri said awkwardly. "Mebbe introduce yo' to some de nice members of your family," he added under his breath. 

Remy shook his head at the memory. Josette's reaction to him had been unpleasant, but not unexpected. What had caught him by surprise had been the bevy of cousins of one variety or another who had happily welcomed him into their family. 

And now, wandering the streets of New Orleans, soaking up the sights, sounds and smells of the city he truly began to feel like he'd come home. 

****** ****** ****** 

Jean-Luc watched as Mattie took charge of the new adoptees the Benefactress had sent to the Guilds. Once they were clear he nodded to Marius Boudreaux, his opposite in the Assassins' Guild. Tonight it was vital that they present a unified front. 

The stout, dark haired man returned the gesture and together they stepped forward and set matching chests on the table before the Benefactress' representative. The cadaverous man raised a questioning eyebrow. 

"As a gesture of our continued respect and desire to maintain a relationship wid your Mistress we offer de blood dat bonds us to her as we have since times immemorial," Marius said. "Mais we are not our ancestors." 

"We t'ink de pact wid her be a tad one-sided," Jean-Luc said. "In times past de medicines an' trainin' she gave to our healers were ample payment for de services we rendered an' de price in coin dat we paid her." 

"Now we could get de same from any hospital," Marius continued. "An' de payment she demands in de lives of our people was nevah acceptable." 

"Nor will we tolerate her interference in our personal lives any longer," Jean-Luc said. "We will do jobs for your Mistress, but like any other client, she will present us wid an objective an' we will decide how to accomplish it." 

"I will inform the Benefactress of your disrespect," the tithe collector said ominously. "You may await her response with dread in your hearts." 

Jean-Luc rolled his eyes, "De Benefactress be a mutant, like m' nephew an' mebbe two dozen other guild members. Mayhap she be long- lived 'nough to believe dis Goddess talk. Mais if dat be de case we ain't totally opposed to continuin' some of de pomp an' ceremony." 

"Dieu, 'bout half of us rather worship her dan de church anyways," Marius said with a shrug. "De Benefactress don' have no commandments dat contradict our family businesses. We jus' prefer dat our Goddess be a little less proactive in our lives." 

****** ****** ****** 

Remy scanned the streets around him, feeling like he was being watched. Seeing no one he picked up his pace a little, concerned by the possibility of being tailed by someone good enough to escape detection. 

He moved determinedly toward the club where he was supposed to be meeting up with Lapin and several other cousins. A knife blade buried itself in a window shutter, passing within inches of his head. 

Remy turned back, trying to lose his shadow in the maze of back streets. When that proved a waste of effort Remy stopped in a small square. "Come out an' fight, less yo' be a coward," he yelled, throwing some of his charm into the challenge. 

A masked, dark clad figure dropped from the roof above him. Remy rolled clear, coming back to his feet with his bo in hand. 

His assailant swept a cloak aside, revealing a slim, feminine form as she threw a second knife at him. 

The hilt collided painfully with Remy's hand. He yelped, letting his guard drop fractionally and the dark clad girl knocked his feet our from under him. 

In moments she was kneeling over him, her knees pinning his arms to the ground, yet another knife at his throat. 

"Why yo' 'ttackin' me yo' crazy femme?" Remy demanded. 

The girl didn't answer but Remy could feel her speculative gaze through the mask. 

He concentrated on the knife blade caressing his throat. Before Xavier's interference it would have been simple to charge anything near him, but now it took real effort to channel his power except through the touch of his hands. Still the knife provided ample motivation and in seconds it was glowing pink. 

"Oh my!" the girl exclaimed tossing it away from her in surprise. 

Remy used the moments' distraction to reverse their positions. "Now why yo' pesterin' Remy?" he asked authoritatively. 

"Mebbe I like yo'," the girl laughed, writhing against him in a way that didn't seem aimed at escape. 

Remy's grip loosened and the girl slipped free. "Be seein' yo' T'ief," she called back as she fled. 

"Crazy femme," Remy muttered watching her vanish into the night. "Bettah get goin' if I want to catch de others." 

Remy headed off his own way, still wondering about the girl and her bizarre attack. 

Upon entering the club the first thing Remy spotted was Lapin's, coppery hair. The stocky boy had tried to explain the tangle of blood, marriage and adoption that made them family only to end up confusing himself as much as Remy. Then with a shrug, Lapin had said, "Call me a cousin, it's easier and it gets de point 'cross a whole lot faster." 

Remy never knew how good having a family could feel before, but the unhesitating way in which these people claimed him was a balm to injuries that had been festering so long he'd almost forgotten where the pain came from. 

Remy headed across the room to join Lapin. "How yo' been?" he asked. 

"Cava-cava," Lapin replied with a shrug. "See anyt'ing yo' 'membered?" 

"Rien wort' mentionin'," Remy said. "Met a girl dough." 

"Do tell?" Lapin asked curiously. 

"Crazy one." 

"Ain't dey all?" 

"Not like dis one," Remy replied. "De femme t'ink she be a mugger or somet'ing, wasn't 'xactly bad wid a knife neither." 

"Assassins," one of the boys with Lapin hissed. 

"Quoi?" Remy asked. "Dat some kind of gang?" 

A quick glance passed around the little circle, reminding Remy that even thought he'd been welcomed he was still an outsider here. 

"Somet'ing like dat," Lapin said. "Dis girl, she serious 'bout usin' de knife?" 

Remy frowned, not liking being left out of the loop. 

"Dis be important!" Lapin snapped and Remy felt his intensity. 

"Non, dat be de weird part," Remy replied shrugging. "If it had of been someone I knew, would of t'ought we were sparrin'." 

The little group relaxed and Remy heard someone sigh, "De truce still holdin'." 

"Guess it weren't such a big deal after all," Lapin said too casually. "Come on, let's enjoy de party." 

Remy nodded, his expression utterly neutral. 

A while later Remy noticed a girl with a head full of golden braids and a predatory smile on her pretty face, approaching them. She moved with a grace that Remy knew came from being a trained fighter. He wondered if she were somehow tied to his family, since that sort of grace seemed uncommonly common among his relations. 

Beside Remy, Lapin was staring at the girl in disbelief. 

"Do yo' dance?" the girl asked, flipping her braids over her shoulder. 

"Well 'nough," Remy replied standing and extending his hand to her. 

"Belladonna!" Lapin exclaimed sounding outraged and nervous all at once. 

"Mind your own business Rabbit," Belle said. "Jus' want a chance to meet your new friend, ain't gonna do no harm." 

"Belladonna, hien?" Remy said as he took her in his arms. "De name be descriptive?" 

"Beautiful an' deadly?" Belle replied. "I like to t'ink so." 

"I'll have to 'member dat," Remy said spinning her so that her back was to him and her arms crossed in front of her, their joined hands at her waist. "Now how 'bout yo' answer de other question I asked yo'," he whispered in her ear. 

"I mus' of missed dat one," Belle laughed. 

"Why'd yo' 'ttack me?" Remy asked. "An' don' say it wasn' yo', yo' still wearing too much of de same perfume." 

Belle struggled to break free only to find Remy had her securely pinned against his chest. 

"Jus' sayin' bonjuer," Belle purred. "T'ought for shor someone would of tol' yo' 'bout dis little game we play." 

"Naw, no one tol' me rien," Remy said. 

"I guess yo' really are new," Belle said. "It's been too long since I seen a new face, an' I like yours." 

Remy twisted to the side and Bell plummeted toward the floor with a shriek. Remy's grip on her hands brought her descent to a halt inches from the floor. Belle glared up at him, he grinned down at her then let her drop. 

Several dances later Belle found Remy sitting alone at his table watching Lapin and the others on the dance floor with an unreadable expression. 

Belle draped herself over the back of his chair. "Yo' don' like dat dey be keepin' t'ings from yo'," she purred. "I could tell yo', everyt'ing, but dey your family. Mebbe it best if I trus' deir judgment." 

"Yo' brought yourself all de way over here jus' to say dat," Remy said skeptically. 

"Well, mebbe, if I liked yo'," Belle suggested her breath warm against his ear as she slid her hands down his chest. "Course we'd need to get to know each other an' to do dat, yo' gonna need to catch me." 

Before the challenge could sink in, Belle was heading for the door. 

"Crazy femme," Remy said shaking his head, a touch of admiration in his voice. He left by the balcony; vaulting over the railing to land crouched on the street below. 

He caught Belle as she rounded the corner, pulling her into the shadows beneath the balcony and pinning both her wrists over her head. "Dat wasn' much of a chase," he told her. 

Belle's smile was a shrug in disguise. "Wanted to see what yo' do once yo' had me," she said. "Dat way I know how hard to make t'ings next time." 

"How's dis?" Remy asked leaning in to kiss her. 

When he pulled back Belle grinned breathlessly at him. "I should tell yo', yo' keep dat up an' m' daddy'll kill yo'." 

"Won' be de first time a femme's pere not approve of Remy," he said. "More interested in what yo' be t'inkin' chere." 

"Dat I kill yo' if yo' stop," Belle replied. 

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	2. 2 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 2 

Lapin burst into the room. "Hey Remy, where'd yo' take off to las' night?" he asked. 

Remy groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. "It's too early for dis," he said. 

"Mais if yo' if yo'd stuck 'round las' night I could of tol' yo' den," Lapin replied, unrepentant. 

"Had bettah t'ings to do," Remy said. 

"Hopefully not what 'm t'inkin'. Belladonna disappeared 'bout de same time yo' did. De girl's pure poison Remy, yo' don' want rien to do wid her," Lapin warned. 

"De femme yo' were flirtin' wid came in wid ma Belle," Remy pointed out. 

"Delores' Tante Mattie's 'pprentice, it's different. Belladonna she's... well... she be trouble." 

"Leas' she admits she be keepin' secrets," Remy said. 

"Come on Remy," Lapin cajoled "Yo' jus' met us, can't be tellin' yo' all de family's dark secrets. Yo' go runnin' for de hills 'fore yo' realize how much yo' like us." 

Remy stared at his cousin, sensing a surprising amount of truth in what should have been a facetious comment as well as genuine affection. "So what be so important yo' got to wake me at de ungodly hour of..." Remy trailed off, looking for a clock. 

"Half pas' ten," Lapin supplied helpfully. 

"Dat early?" Remy groaned. "Got los' twice on de way home. Only got to sleep 'round five." 

"Yo' own fault for being off wid de she-devil," Lapin replied. "Get dressed an' get a move on it. Yo' don' want to miss out on dis." 

****** ****** ****** 

"It's good to have Remy back," Tante Mattie said, sharing a cup of coffee with Jean-Luc. "There's been too many los' an' too few come home." 

"De Assassins been hit harder dan us by de Benefactress' demands," Jean-Luc said. "I t'ink dat be why Marius be willin' to ally wid me 'gainst her." 

"Offensive mutations be more common in deir blood-lines dan in yours," Mattie said. "De Benefactress take dose eventually. I had a sense 'bout Remy, we would have had to send him 'way 'ventually, even if Josette's marriage had been 'pproved." 

"Someone mention me?" Josette asked, coming into the house. 

"Yo' talked to your fils yet?" Mattie asked sternly. 

"Why yo' all bein' like dis?" Josette whined. "I ain't done anyt'ing to de boy, don' see why I have to make nice. Remy don' want rien to do wid me, if he did he wouldn' of run off." 

"He ran 'way 'cause Armand was abusin' him, yo' too," Jean-Luc said quietly. "Why didn' yo' call me?" 

"I didn' want to, 'kay!" Josette exclaimed. "I don' want to do dis either an' yo' can't make me!" 

"No we can't," Mattie said disapprovingly. "But I t'ought yo' were raised bettah dan dis. He's your son, don' dat mean anyt'ing to yo'?" 

"Non, it don'!" Josette snapped. "Dere ain't been one good part to bein' a mere an' I don' want nothin' to do wid it. Or him." 

"Ma soer, I t'ink now be more dan a little late to be decidin' dis," Jean-Luc said. "I doubt dat Remy will evah look to yo' as a mother, but yo' bot' be livin', an' welcome, beneath dis roof, so yo' best make some sort of peace wid de boy." 

****** ****** ****** 

Remy looked at the building then looked back at the other two boys. "Yo' want me to do what?" he asked skeptically. 

"Distract de guard," Lapin repeated. 

"Dey know us a'ready," Pierre said ingenuously. "Las' time Lapin didn' do so good of a job bein' de distraction." 

"So what happened?" Remy asked. 

"Spent de night in jail, got our hides tanned for bein' careless," Lapin replied cheerfully. "But don' worry, I got a back up plan dis time." 

"An' dat be?" Remy asked. Pierre also looked curious. 

"Run faster dis time," Lapin replied. 

"Yo're kiddin' right?" Pierre asked. "A life time of prep an' yo' plan B is 'run faster', an' dey let yo' pas' de tillin'?" 

Lapin glared furiously at Pierre who glanced at Remy and looked embarrassed. 

"Lemme guess, yo' ain't goin' to 'xplain dat either," Remy said. "Don' worry, wid me as de distraction dat part of your plan be covered." 

" 'Kay, den let's go," Lapin said. 

"Why do I let yo' talk me into dis stuff?" Pierre sighed and followed after Lapin. 

Remy gave them a few minutes to get into place then strolled over to the guard and struck up a conversation. 

Lapin fired a grappling hook then he and Pierre used it to walk up the wall. 

"Hope yo' got a bettah plan dan yo' tol' Remy, not to mention a bettah plan den las' time," Pierre said conversationally. "Dis is a military buildin' we're breakin' into an' if we get caught 'gain Jean-Luc'll kill us if our pa's don'." 

"Course I do, 'm a professional, mais we can't let Remy know dat. Jean-Luc's de one who decides when to tell him 'bout de family business." 

"I still t'ink we could of picked a bettah job to find out how he feels 'bout t'ievin'." 

"How often do we get authorization to pick our own target an' 'have fun' on a job?" Lapin asked. 

"An' he specifically tol' us if we evah got caught near dis place 'gain dey'd be usin' our fate as a cautionary tale for generations to come. Yo' t'ink takin' Remy 'long gonna win any points?" Pierre replied. 

"We ain't gonna get caught an' dat's all Jean-Luc cares 'bout," Lapin assured the other boy. "I been wantin' to do dis forevah." 

"Yo' t'ink I don' know dat?" Pierre said, locking down his climbing harness and starting in on the window's security system. "Why are we doin' dis at mid-day, 'gain?" 

"Cause neither of us be a good 'nough hacker to get into de system. Gotta hope he jus' uses a locked screen saver durin' lunch," Lapin explained, gently lifting the window out of it's frame. "Don' worry de General takes long lunches." 

Pierre unhooked his harness and climbed lightly through the window. Lapin handed him the glass then joined him inside. 

Lapin seated himself at behind the general's desk and grinned triumphantly as he started typing. Pierre shoved a chair under the doorknob and started rifling through piles of loose paper. As the minutes ticked by on the clock Lapin's grin began to wilt. 

Pierre paced nervously around the office after he finished going through the files and photographing a few relevant pieces of information. "Yo' done yet?" he asked. 

"Dis takes time, Pierre," Lapin said. "Jus' relax. Did yo' relock de cabinets?" 

"We're runnin' low on time," Pierre said. 

"Dere's no one tryin' to break down de door so we ain't been caught yet," Lapin pointed out. "If we don' get any payoff it'll be harder to get Remy in on dis stuff 'gain." 

Pierre watched nervously for a shadow outside of the frosted glass window, he wondered if the absolute lack of activity were a good thing or not. 

" 'M in," Lapin exclaimed softly. "Now de real work. God bless weekly progress reports, dis has everyt'ing we goin' to need." 

Pierre went to peer over Lapin's shoulder. "Dose night 'xercises gonna be perfect," he said. 

"I tol' yo' dis would work," Lapin said, printing out copies. 

Both boys hovered over the printer as it worked. Once the last page was safely stashed Lapin restored the computer to its original state and they slipped back out of the window. 

Wandering back toward the complex's entrance they were amazed to see Remy chatting amicably with four security guards, an assortment of personnel and the very General whose office they had been ransacking. 

A few moment after Remy spotted them the General glanced at his wristwatch then at the collection of people and frowned. A very short time later the gathering dispersed and Remy sauntered over to join them. 

"If I evah here another complaint 'bout jobs, kids, spouses or lovers it'll be too soon," Remy said. "What'd yo' get?" 

Lapin smiled and offered him a handful of printouts. 

Remy looked over them, glanced up at Lapin and Pierre, read over a few more pages then said. "Yo' lookin' to borrow a plane?" 

"Nope, an F1-50," Lain replied. "Yo' in or not?" 

Remy glanced at the papers again. " 'M in, but yo' damn well bettah include me in de rest of de plannin'. Dis jus' a little outside de normal teenage stunts 'm 'magin'. I ain't gettin' in trouble cause yo' don' plan t'ings out." 

Pierre and Lapin exchanged a smile. "Welcome to de family Remy, yo're gonna fit right in," Lapin said. 

****** ****** ****** 

Henri frowned at the scantily clothed, buxom blonde leaning against his motorcycle. "Yo' waitin' for someone?" he asked. 

"I'm waiting for you, Henri Lebeau, heir apparent to the New Orleans' Thieves Guild." 

"Dat knowledge ain't for strangers," Henri said looming threateningly over the woman. "Where'd yo' come by it?" 

"I am your Goddess Henri," the woman said. "I know everything about you and your father and the blasphemy he is engaged in. If you hope to have anything to inherent you will stop him." 

"De Benefactress," Henri said. "I a'ways t'ought yo' be taller, mebbe have bettah taste..." 

"Don't mock me!" Candra screeched. 

"Why not, don' see any one else here stupid 'nough to t'ink I'd go 'gainst mon pere, an ' if dat get up of yours is meant to seduce me, yo've nevah seen m' Mercy. Oh an' speakin' of Mercy, how many times yo' turned down our petition to marry now?" 

Henri was about to continue when he felt his feet leaving the ground, invisible bands tightened painfully around him. 

"Do you think me some powerless charlatan?" Candra said, her voice low and furious. She hovered in the air slightly above Henri, her long hair whipping about her as if caught in a violent wind. "If you will not bow before me, you shall be the first example of my power!" 

The twange of a crossbow sounded, the barded head of the bolt appeared protruding from Candra's stomach. Henri felt the bonds around him loosen and began to struggle. Moments later he dropped to the pavement. 

Candra disappeared in an explosion of light and sound. 

"Yo' own me Lebeau," a smooth cynical voice said. 

Henri spotted a slender man approximately his age with dark hair, smirking down at him. "I t'ink I'd rather be dead," Henri replied. "What do yo' want Julian?" 

"Jus' abidin' by de treaty. 'Gainst her de Guilds be one," Julian said. " 'Sides I like your style, it confirms your lack of brains. Nevah did see why yo' t'ieves want dis truce, widout de Benefactress sappin' our numbers we would of eradicated your Guild decades ago." 

"We value our people for somet'ing more dan numbers," Henri said. "An' we have rien to worry 'bout from de likes of yo'." 

" 'Member who saved who today," Julian said. "Someday I'll collect what I preserved dis time." 

Henri waved off Julian's posturing, mounted the motorcycle. 

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	3. 3 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 3 

The next few weeks passed quietly. 

Remy, Lapin and Pierre worked out the details of their plan and collected supplies. Josette went to visit an old High School friend. Jean-Luc, Marius and the Guilds prepared to fight Candra, scowering all their histories for clues as to her powers and hints of her weaknesses. Remy and Belle continued their pursuit of each other. 

This time she'd caught him, technically, cornering him in one of the city's numerous cemeteries. "The femme had an unnatural fondness for knives," Remy had decided. He'd barely gotten out of his coat fast enough to keep her from cutting it off him. The shirt was a lost cause, but at least he still had his jeans to wear home. 

"Still a good time had been had by all," he thought lazily, one arm propped behind his head as he traced circles on Belle's bare back. She peered up at him from where she lay, half sprawled across his chest, her hands crossed beneath her chin. 

"So yo' like me well 'nough to start spillin' m' family's secrets now?" Remy asked. 

"Mebbe a few," Belle hedged. 

Remy waited. 

"Yo' heard of the Illuminate or de Masons?" Belle asked. 

Remy nodded. 

"Well our families, de Guilds, make dem look like amateurs," Belle said. "In one form or 'nother we been 'round longer an' how can dey call demselves a secret society when everybody knows 'bout dem, I'll nevah know." 

"We out to take over de world or anyt'ing dramatic like dat?" Remy asked. 

"Non, too busy tryin' to kill each other," Belle said. "Now mebbe de Benefactress have somet'ing big brewin', but it hardly mattahs now. Ma daddy and you Onlce done joined forces to oust her, dat's why everyone be so edgy dese days." 

"So we've got two secret societies who's whole purpose is to fight wid each other?" Remy asked. "Sounds a little, I don' know, dumb." 

Belle giggled. "Now dat's de really big secret, even mos' de Guild members don' know dis one, but dere's only one secret society, two factions, but we're all part of de same whole." 

"If dat's such a secret how yo' know it?" Remy asked skeptically. 

"Ma ami, 'Lores, she wants to be de Guilds' healer. She's studyin' as Tante Mattie's 'prentice, but she also be studyin' to be a doctor at Tulane. Got interested in de genetics of isolated societies for de obvious reason an' she realized we be an oddity in dat don' have de problems wid hereditary illness dat we should. Dat got her interested in genealogy an' dat's when she realized 'bout two hundred years ago dere was only one Guild, or if dere was two dey certainly intermarried often 'nough dat dey had to be on good terms." 

"So why don' yo' have de diseases?" Remy asked. 

Belle shrugged, "De Benefactress arranges all de marriages an' she brings us chilen to 'dopt. Figure de trials we have to pass weed out de bad genes, dose born widout de Benefactress' blessin' a'mos' a'ways die durin' deir rites of passage." 

"How is it your friend be de first to realize dis?" Remy asked. 

"Remy, we're only de second generation to be schooled outside de Guilds an' genetics ain't really a part of Guild teachin'," Belle said. 

While Remy consider that, Belle shifted to curl against his side. "Next time someone should bring a blanket," She muttered, pulling her shirt over her shoulders. 

****** ****** ****** 

Henri walked into the front hall, concerned and curious about the raised voices he'd been hearing ever since he parked his motorcycle in the driveway. 

Jean-Luc's office door was open so he cautiously poked his head in and found his father sitting at his desk looking tired. "What's de fuss?" Henri asked. 

"Josette came home an' decided to talk to Remy," Jean-Luc sighed. "Dey been screamin' at each other for neigh on two hours now." 

"Why didn't yo' break dem up?" Henri asked. 

"I t'ought if dey get it out of deir systems den mebbe dey learn to deal wid one 'nother widout me mediatin'." Jean-Luc replied. "Den I t'ought if one of dem would bring up a grievance or jus' be a little reasonable I could mediate, but dey haven't run out of names to call each other yet." 

Henri listened more closely to the stream of invective for a moment and winced. "I had no idea Josy knew language like dat," he said. 

"Yo' missed Remy's Aramaic rant awhile back," Jean-Luc said. "I wonder where he picked dat up, it was... creative." 

"Mais at leas' dey're talkin' to each other, its more dan dey were doing before," Henri said. 

"Yo'd t'ink dey would have hatin' Armand in common," Jean-Luc said. "But dey nevah even mention him." 

Henri shrugged uncomfortably. "When dey get done, tell Remy he was pretty smooth tryin' to lift m' keys, but he's goin' to have to practice if he t'inks he's gettin' ahold of m' bike." 

Jean-Luc's expression perked up. "How good is he?" he asked. 

"He could make a livin'," Henri said. "Even outside of tourist season." 

"Mebbe tellin' him won' be so bad," Jean-Luc said. "I was a bit worried, what wid findin' him livin' wid a bunch of would-be heroes." 

"What does Lapin say?" Henri asked. 

Jean-Luc's expression darkened. "I t'ink dat boy is getting' carried 'way. He ain't sure yet. I tol' him take Remy one somet'ing dat could look like a High School prank if he reacts bad, not to break into Fort Knox, but de 'mount of plannin' suggests de later." 

Henri shrugged. "Remy might be nervous, pickin' pockets ain't de same as breakin' an' enterin', an' his new friends might of been puttin' ideas in his head 'bout dis stuff bein' wrong or somet'ing." 

"Can't 'magine why dey might t'ink dat," Jean-Luc said wryly. "But knowin' Lapin I got m' concerns. De boy's a good 'nough t'ief but he ain't got a bit of common sense." 

A particularly loud and inarticulate screech rent the air followed by the sound of a door being jerked open and violently slammed. Jean-Luc and Henri came out in the hall to see Remy open the door again and lean nonchalantly against the frame, smirking as he watched Josette storm up the stairs and slam her bedroom door behind her. 

"I win," he said, sounding satisfied. 

****** ****** ****** 

Belle breezed into the warm aromatic house, brushing aside a bundle of herbs hung in the doorway to dry. "Bon Martin, Tante Mattie, Hey Delores yo' learning' anyt'ing femme?" 

Mattie rapped the blond girl's knuckles sharply. Belle jerked her hand back with an injured yelp. "What'd yo' do dat for?" Belle demanded. 

"Dis game yo' playin' wid Remy. Cut it out! He don' understand de stakes," Mattie snapped. 

"Come on Tante," Belle cajoled "What girl doesn' want to play Romeo an' Juliet?" 

"Mos' don' have de families to make it real," Mattie said disapprovingly. "Yo're playin' wid dat boy's life." 

" 'M an Assassin," Belle replied. "What other stakes are wort' playin' for? 'Sides I did warn him." 

"Yo' tol' him dat your daddy, not to mention de bettah part of your family be world class assassins an' yourself in trainin' to become de same?" Mattie asked. "Don' try to lie to your Tante." 

"I did tell him dat m' daddy would kill him," Belle protested. 

"An' a normal person goin' to believe dat literally?" Mattie snorted. "Yo' back off 'fore de boy gets hurt. Do yo' hear me girl?" 

"I hear yo'," Belle said sulkily. "Come on 'Lores, lets go get lunch. Not like it's any fun here today." 

****** ****** ****** 

"Henri's goin' to offer me some pointers on liftin' stuff," Remy muttered softly, picking through the bundle of wire that led to the motorcycle's starter. He quickly crossed two and then blinked at the bike in disbelief when it failed to start. 

A few moments examination revealed the problem. "Dat connard took de spark plugs," Remy exclaimed. 

He glanced around the garage, spotting Josette's car then smiling, he popped the hood. Shortly there after he returned to the bike tossing a couple of liberated spark plugs from hand to hand. 

From his office window Jean-Luc watched the bike's tail lights disappear into the night, a fond smile on his face. He would have been less pleased if he'd known Remy's destination. 

Remy stopped the bike outside of the wall surrounding Belle's home, a few moments later the blonde Assassin girl dropped soundlessly beside him. 

"Yo're late," she said. 

"Henri decided to be clevah," Remy said. "Only cost me a few minutes." 

"He's protective of de bike," Belle said, climbing on behind Remy. " 'M impressed dat yo' got it at all." 

"Den don' complain 'bout me bein' late chere," Remy replied. "Don' worry, we'll still make your movie." 

"But I like de previews," Belle pouted. "Yo' good 'nough driver for a bit of a short cut?" 

****** ****** ******* 

Josette woke up as a flash of light filled her room. One hand slipped beneath her pillow as she blinked sleep out of her eyes. 

"What would you give to have your wishes fulfilled?" Candra asked seating herself casually on Josette's dresser. "A chance to go back and do it all again?" 

"All I have to do is betray mon frere," Josette said. "I don' give a tinker's damn 'bout de demon an' I wish I'd nevah met his pere, but yo' t'ink 'm goin' to hurt de one person who has a'ways tried to take care of me?" 

"How much do you want your old life back?" Candra asked. 

"Not dat much," Josette said drawing the gun from beneath her pillow and firing. 

The bullet hovered in the air between them, then reversed it's path. Jean-Luc arrived moments later to find Josette bleeding on the floor. 

"I can't kill you," Candra said. "Your people would never obey me again if I did, but Josette's been gone for too long, and quite frankly she's a pain in the butt. She left in defiance of me. Except for you, no one will miss her, not even her son. Speaking of him, Remy hasn't been around long enough to form any strong ties to the Guild. You've got three days to break your alliance with the Assassins and submit to our old arrangement." 

"Get out of m' home," Jean-Luc said threateningly. 

"Until later," Candra said. "Good luck saving your little hostage to fortune. I mean if she makes it who knows what I'll do to her next time." 

Jean-Luc ignored Candra's flashy exit, grabbing a sheet off the bed and using it to staunch Josette's wound. 

****** ****** ****** 

"I ain't ready to go home yet," Belle yelled in Remy's ear, trying to be heard over the motorcycle's engine. 

"Where to?" Remy asked letting the wind carry his voice back to her. 

Belle pointed to a side road, they were coming up on fast, then shrieked with delight as she helped Remy lean into the curve. If they hadn't known it already their wild trip to make it to the theatre on time would have confirmed a mutual love of adrenaline. 

Several more sharp turns and Remy found himself racing across the long bridge out of the city. 

"Stop de bike!" Belle yelled. As soon as the bike skidded to a halt Belle swung herself off it and started undressing. 

"What are yo' doin'?" Remy asked. 

"Don' get left behind," Belle said with a challenging look as she stuffed her shirt in one of the bike's saddlebags. 

Remy shook his head, his expression one of admiring disbelief and hurried to catch up. 

Remy had just started unlacing his boots when Belle climbed up on the railing and jumped. A loud splash followed. "Come on, de water's nice," Belle hollered. 

Remy vaulted over the railing, twisting smoothly in mid-air to break the water cleanly. He resurfaced a few moments later, shaking silt laddened water out of his hair. 

Belle's slender hands clamped on his shoulders pushing him back under. Remy caught her wrists and pulled her down with him. Both were laughing like children when they came up for air. 

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	4. 4 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 4 

"Looks like Remy got your bike after all," Mercy commented pointing to the Harley parked at the bridge's midway point. 

Henri leaned over to tap the car's driver on the shoulder. "Pull over, dis be too good of a chance to pass up," he said. After checking the saddlebags he grinned, "Much too good a chance." 

"Be nice," Mercy laughed. "Leave him his shoes." 

"Yo' mean leave dem deir shoes," Henri corrected. " 'Ppears m' petite cuz has hisself a date." 

Mercy quickly went through the clothing. "Naw, jus' leave Remy's shoes, let Belle go it bare foot." 

"Belladonna? Yo're kiddin'," Henri said. 

"How many girls yo' know wid four knife sheaths sown into deir cloths?" Mercy asked. 

"Yo'," Henri laughed. 

"Boot knives don' count," Mercy pouted. "Everybody does dat." 

"M' apologies," Henri said with a slight bow. " 'M goin' to have a talk wid Remy 'bout his taste in girls in de martin. Now let's get gone 'fore dey come back." 

"If yo're truly sorry yo'll let me drive," Mercy said, a gleam in her eyes. 

"Cherie we don' have time to fight 'bout dis," Henri pointed out. 

"M' point 'xactly," Mercy replied. 

"Yo're evil," Henri laughed stepping back to let Mercy hotwire the bike. 

"Yo' wouldn' want me otherwise," Mercy replied as the engine roared to life. 

****** ****** ****** 

Jean-Luc paced the halls, anger and fear giving him a surplus of energy he had no outlet for, his cell phone pressed to his ear. 

"Mattie still be workin' on Josy," he said. "Don' know if ma soeur gonna pull t'rough or not. How are yo're people?" 

Marius' voice was tense. "One of m' advisors is dead an' Belle's missin'." 

"Yo' know de kids sneak out a'mos' every other night," Jean-Luc said quietly. "Merde, we all but 'ncourage it." 

"Nights like dis one, I have trouble 'memberin' why," Marius said. 

There was a pause, and then Jean-Luc said. "If Remy's wid her, keep him dere till I can send someone." 

"I'd been hopin' dat was jus' a rumor," Marius sighed. "Yo' do de same for me if dey hit yo're place first, an' I'll have a word wid Belle 'bout t'inkin' t'ings t'rough." 

"Merci, I ain't quite ready to come clean wid Remy an' I can't 'xsplain Belle till den," Jean-Luc said. 

****** ****** ****** 

Remy stared at the empty spot where he'd left the bike. "Merde, Henri's goin' to kill me," he said. 

"M' cloths," Belle exclaimed. 

"Mebbe I'll get lucky," Remy said. "Mebbe Henri will be laughin' too hard to catch me." 

"Where your boots in de saddle bag?" Belle asked, holding up the items in question. 

"Oui," Remy said relaxing a little. 

"Dat no good T'ief!" Belle exclaimed angrily. 

"It is Henri's bike," Remy said. 

"Mais he could of lef' m' boots too," Belle explained. "Or yo' could be a gentleman an' let me have yours." 

"I t'ink I'd rather be a gentleman an' carry yo'," Remy suggested. 

****** ****** ****** 

Jean-Luc's eyes closed and he sighed with relief, hearing the roar of a motorcycle in the drive. Moments later Henri and Mercy burst into the house. "I saw Tante Mattie's car," Henri exclaimed. "Who's hurt?" 

"Not tonight," Jean-Luc said under his breath. "Get armed an' get Remy from where evah yo' stranded him. If Belladonna's wid him take her as well. De Benefactress is on de warpat'." 

Henri nodded, his expression grim as he and Mercy headed for the armory. 

****** ****** ****** 

"Who would of 'magined a body could be so t'ankful for cloths lines," Remy said happily buttoning up the shirt he'd borrowed. 

" 'M still barefoot," Belle complained. 

Remy swung her up over his shoulder. "Dere, dis is much easier on m' arms," he said. 

"Not if yo' value your life," Belle threatened. 

"Yo' could a'ways walk," Remy laughed. 

"Yo' could carry me right," Belle offered. 

"Not any further dan I a'ready have," Remy replied. "Yo're petite chere, but yo' ain't anorexic." 

"Bebe," Belle pouted. "I supposed a piggy-back ride would work." 

"I like de view right now," Remy said. 

"Mais, I don' like de angle on m' view," Belle complained, slapping the 'view' in question. "Or de blood rushin' to m' head, so put me down." 

After a few more minute of friendly bickering the pair arranged themselves and started down the road. A half-mile further on a car Remy recognized pulled off the road in front of them. 

"Henri, mon ami, I knew yo' loved your little cousin," Remy exclaimed smiling engagingly. 

"Josette got shot Remy," Henri said seriously. 

"Is Jean-Luc a'right?" Remy asked with concern. 

"He's bien, worried 'bout yo' an' Josy, mais healthy," Henri replied. "Belle, your daddy's worried too," he continued tossing the blond girl a cell phone. 

Belle rolled her eyes and started dialing. "Hey Daddy," she said. "I can take care of m'self yo' know." 

She paused for a moment her expression turning grim. "Rouler's dead?" she asked. 

Remy turned to Henri, "I t'ink yo' got somet'ing to tell me," he said frowning. 

"Mon pere'll 'xsplain," Henri said. "Jus' get in de car 'fore anyt'ing else happens." 

"Yo' drop me off?" Belle asked quietly. 

"Oui," Henri said. 

****** ****** ****** 

Remy stood hesitantly in the doorway to his uncle's office, watching the older man pace. "Yo' 'kay?" Remy asked placing a very tentative arm around Jean-Luc's shoulders. 

"Glad yo're safe petite," Jean-Luc said. "Josy's lung collapsed. Mattie be sayin' we might have to take her in to de hospital." 

"Bullets somet'ing yo' don' like to 'xplain 'round here?" Remy asked stepping away from Jean-Luc. 

Jean-Luc's head came up sharply; he saw the frustration and suspicion in Remy's eyes. "Oui," he reluctantly said. "How much yo' figured out an' how much your girlfriend tell yo'?" 

" 'Nough to not be surprised," Remy replied. "Mais not 'nough." 

Jean-Luc nodded. "I head de T'ieves Guild. Marius Boudreaux, your Belle's pere, heads de Assassins Guild. Bot' Guilds serve an' to a degree worship de Benefactress. Lately we come to de realization dat she mos' likely be a mutant, like yo', but immortal. Still no Goddess an' no one 'm willing to sacrifice m' people to. She ain't 'xactly takin' Marius an' I's decision well." 

"T'ieves huh?" Remy commented. "Take it Lapin an' Pierre ain't breakin' as many rules as I t'ought dey were." 

"Oui," Jean-Luc admitted. "Dey were testin' yo'." 

"Yo' won' mind if we go t'rough wid it?" Remy asked. "Hate to do all dat work for rien." 

Jean-Luc laughed. "Glad to hear yo're so 'nthused. Was worried, me, dat your friends up in Westchester had corrupted yo'." 

"Mais I ain't plannin' on tellin' Scotty 'bout dis anytime soon. Mebbe Logan, he might 'ppricate it." 

"I'd rather yo' didn'," Jean-Luc said. "De T'ief t'ing, its sort of a secret." 

A quick smile curled Remy's lips. "So I've been tol'. Hey yo' realize dis makes me a part of two secret organizations?" 

Jean-Luc shook his head at Remy's pleased tone and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "An' now dat yo're in de know, we can have a petite conversation 'bout datin' Assassins." 

"Knew dere'd be draw backs," Remy sighed theatrically. 

"Remy, Belle's an Assassin, it ain't jus' 'bout de feud. She be preparin' to be a professional killer," Jean-Luc said seriously. "What a T'ief takes can be replaced, de Assassins can't say de same." 

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	5. 5 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 5 

Lapin tossed a rubber ball at the floor idly, watched it ricochet off the wall and ceiling, reached out to catch it then repeated the process. "I am bored," he complained. "We've been sitting around for days waitin' for 'nother 'ttack and rien happens." 

Remy glanced up from the homework he was absorbed in. "I got plenty to do, if yo' want to lend a hand," he offered. 

"I'll pass," Lapin replied. "It de middle of summer, why yo' doin' dat anyway?" 

Remy made a face. "Gotta make-up for de las' five years where I didn' go to school t'all. Mais, not 'less yo' count de stuff Essex made me study de two years I was wid him. If anyt'ing 'm 'head in chemistry an' other science stuff, he t'ought it'd help m' control of m' powers if I understood what it was I did." 

"Dat de guy up at your school?" Lapin asked. 

"Mon Dieu, non!" Remy exclaimed. "None too fond of Xavier, me, but he ain't Sinister. Dat one be unfeeling, pure evil. Xavier might use yo' till yo're all used up, but I don' t'ink he'd take yo' 'part jus' to see what makes yo' tick." 

Lapin nodded. "So what are yo' studyin'?" 

"Mos'ly history an' lit," Remy said. "Hate writin' reports, have to use formal English or French, but no mixin' dem." 

Lapin's expression was sympathetic. "Jean-Luc'll probably start yo' on art history an' 'lectronics. De schools don' cover dem well 'nough for what we do." 

"Speakin' of dat, Jean-Luc's 'kay wid us goin' 'head on our little project," Remy said. "Even if I jumped 'head of schedule a bit." 

"Now dat be good news," Lapin said. "I'll tell Pierre. Yo' figured out how to sneak out if de 'lert's still on?" 

Remy looked a little doubtful. "I know Scotty'd skin me if I took off during somet'ing like dis, mebbe we should delay." 

"We only got useful flight plans for a little longer," Lapin pointed out. 

"An' yo' all are 'lot more laid back den Cyke," Remy said. "Probably won' be a big deal." 

" 'Specially not if we don' get caught," Lapin added pragmatically. 

****** ****** ****** 

Nimbly Belle leapt from her windowsill to a branch of the Cyprus tree several feet away. Balancing lightly she made her way toward the trunk then hopped to a lower branch, the path to the ground was nearly as familiar to her as the staircase inside. 

"Goin' somewhere Belle?" Julian asked leaning back against the wall beneath her window, his dark hair and clothes blending with the night to make him nearly invisible. 

"Mind your own business Jules," Belle said, blue eyes glinting angrily. 

"Yo' goin' to visit dat t'ief boyfriend of yours?" Julian asked ignoring Belle's comment. 

"Pah," Belle said waving a hand dismissively as she headed toward the outer wall. 

"Don' turn your back on me!" Julian growled, grabbing Belle's arm. She twisted forcibly, driving her fist into his sternum, knocking the breath out of him. 

Gasping, Julian lashed out, kicking Belle's legs out from under her. 

Belle controlled the fall, rolling into a fighting stance several feet away, a knife in hand. 

"I can play dat game too," Julian said drawing a blade of his own. 

Cautiously the pair circled, working their way toward a more open section of the lawn. 

"Don' either of yo' have no sense?" a deep voice asked from the shadows. 

"Gris-Gris," Belle exclaimed. "He started it." 

The siblings stowed their weapons quickly. 

"We ain't got de resources to fight de T'ieves now, an' yo' t'ink we can be fightin' one 'nother?" Gris-Gris reprimanded. "Bot' of yo' get inside 'fore I tell your pere what yo' be up to." 

"Jus' leavin'," Belle said retreating toward the shadows. 

"Use de door, Belle," Julian said. "An' don' t'ink I won' be checkin' dat yo' stay in dat room of yours." 

Seeing the venomous look Belle shot her brother Gris-Gris said. "Sil vous plait Belle, stay close tonight, don' give your Pere anymore cause for concern." 

"Since Daddy's worryin'," Belle said walking sedately back toward the house. 

****** ****** ****** 

Remy jumped into the back of the pick-up truck, his trench coat flaring around him, his X-Men uniform beneath if. 

"Ready for trouble?" Pierre asked. 

"I ain't de only one," Remy said noting Lapin's bright coppery hair was hidden beneath a dark bandanna and he was wearing a black body suit. Pierre was wearing jeans and a tee shirt. "Yo' de one who looks out of place." 

" 'M still plannin' on pretendin' to be some dumb high schooler when we get caught," Pierre said. 

"Yo're a pessimist homme," Remy said. "We ain't gonna get caught." 

"Mais if we do, it'll be wort' de ride," Lapin added. 

"Yo' bot' crazy," Pierre said, driving toward the base. 

They left the pick-up a quarter mile from the fence, pulled on backpacks carefully packed with their gear and started jogging. The two fences were no obstacle to Lapin and Pierre's training. Once they were in the compound Lapin started toward their ultimate objective while Pierre and Remy headed in the opposite direction to get their distraction ready. 

Pierre watched as Remy poured his power into one of the jets, eyes popping wide open as the plane began to rise off the ground supported only by Remy's will and power. "Mon Dieu, yo're really doin' it!" he exclaimed. Remy's eyes were fixed on the jet, burning brightly as sweat ran down his face. 

The plane rose to a height of ten feet and people were running from all over the base to stare in bemusement. Standing in the shadows Remy was shaking, blood from biting his lip ran over his chin. "Dat's 'nough," Pierre said, his look concerned. Remy closed his eyes and the plane crashed to the ground then exploded, only adding to the general air of chaos. Pierre hooked an arm around Remy's waist and hurried the other boy toward their ride. 

They found Lapin in the cockpit, waiting for them, their chosen jet's ground crew bound in the corner of the hanger and unconscious due to the chloroform Lapin had brought along with him. "It's pretty much de same as dat big simulator at de arcade," he said. 

Remy and Pierre shared a worried look at that, "I know a little 'bout flying," Remy said. "More dan he does anyways." 

"Dat ain't hard, or particularly reassurin'," Pierre said, giving Remy, who was still spent from his earlier stunt, a hand up. Then Pierre stepped back from the jet. "Mais, bien luck, don' kill yourselves, it's been nice knowin' yo' and if yo' do live an' Jean-Luc asks, I had rien to do wid dis." 

"If we squeeze we can get all t'ree of us in," Lapin encouraged. 

Pierre wavered, Lapin smiled engagingly. 

"What de hell, yo' can only kill me once," Pierre said joining the other two. 

Lapin started the jet and taxied out on to the airway. They were picking up speed for take off before anyone noticed them. "Alpha-two, you're ahead of schedule," the radio barked at the last minute, in the background they could here someone raving about aliens. 

"Dat ain't a problem is it?" Remy asked, feeling the jet's wheels beginning to loose contact with the ground. 

"Yes it's a problem!" the man snapped. "Wait for your assigned slot." 

"Je desole, goin' now," Remy said as Lapin cleared the end of the run away and started gaining height. 

"Who the hell is this!" the voice darkened. "Land that plane or you will be shot down!" 

"I t'ink he be serious," Pierre said. 

"Dey ain't gonna shoot deir own plane," Lapin said. "Yo' know how much one of dese costs?" 

"Too late now anyway," Remy said philosophically as he watched the trees and buildings drop away beneath them. 

Lapin cheered as they zoomed off toward the Gulf of Mexico. 

"I t'ink dey're sendin' someone after us," Pierre said. "Yo' shor dey ain't gonna shoot us?" 

"Trust me," Lapin said as Remy quietly took the co-pilot's controls. 

"Famous las' words," Pierre yelled grabbing the mike away from Remy, who sent the jet into a series of evasive maneuvers Scott had shown him in the X-Men's Blackbird. 

"I'm seventeen, I don' wanna die," Pierre yelled into the mike. "Dis was jus' a joke, stop shootin'." 

Remy sighed with relief as the white trails of the missiles streaked by them. 

"Don' t'ink dey listenin'," Remy said just before the second missiles exploded well short of their target. 

"Gambit, that sure as hell better not be you in that plane," a rough voice growled over the radio. 

"Wolverine," Remy said, snatching the mike back from Pierre. "Can't tell yo' how happy I am to hear yo'." 

"Remember the comm. frequency?" Wolverine asked as another set of missiles was blown out of the sky. 

Remy adjusted the radio. "Oui, go 'head," he said. 

"Alter your course, 15 degrees south, on my mark," Cyclops said. "I'm going to match you and extend the Blackbird's cloak to cover you... Mark." 

Ten minutes later Cyclops grimly ordered them to land the jet. 

"Dere's no ground," Pierre objected. 

"Be softer if I crash, dis be m' first landin'," Remy said with a shrug. " 'Sides drowning might be de best way to go. I t'ink we're in trouble." 

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	6. 6 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 6 

Lapin and Pierre sat in the back of the Blackbird, quietly dripping. 

Remy, also soaked to the skin, followed Logan toward the cockpit. A slight girl with curly brown hair, who Remy didn't recognize whispered, "You're in more trouble than I am," as he walked past her. 

"Shut up Kitty," Logan snarled turning to scowl at all three of the boys. "Goddamnit Remy, you're smarter than this. I ain't even gonna ask what you were thinking, cause I'm pretty damn sure that the problem was you weren't." 

" 'M sorry," Remy said staring at the floor near Logan's feet. 

"Sit down, we'll talk later," Logan said, rejoining Scott in the jet's cockpit. 

Remy slumped in a seat. 

"Hi, I'm Kitty Pryde," the brown haired girl said, extending a hand in Remy's direction. "So you're an X-Man too. Well I guess I can't say that, I'm getting expelled. I wonder what they're going to do to you. I mean I just snuck on to the Blackbird after the Professor promised my mom I wouldn't go on missions and I did save the day. You stole a fighter jet, made Logan shoot at the US government and nearly got killed. You know, being me suddenly doesn't seem so bad." 

"Please shut up chere," Remy said despondently. 

The flight remained silent until the Blackbird touched down behind Jean-Luc's house. 

"Stay in the plane Kitty," Logan growled, roughly directing the three boys toward the exit. "Cyclops called ahead. Your parents are waiting for you," he told Lapin and Pierre. 

Remy watched them leave the Blackbird. "Logan, I..." 

Wolverine grabbed the boy by the lapels of his coat, spun him around and slammed him into the wall of the jet. "If we'd been a minute later or if Scott hadn't recognized yer piloting ya'd be dead!" Logan shouted. "And for what? Some damn fool prank that ya couldn't have pulled off without the training ya got from us." 

"I... Logan... 'M sorry," Remy stammered. 

Logan's claws buried themselves in the wall by Remy's head. "Not good enough for this Remy," he said then turned and walked away. 

Swallowing nervously Remy crept into the cockpit. Scott still sat in the pilot's chair, white knuckled hands clenched on the steering yoke. "Right now I wish I'd never met you," Scott said softly, not turning to look at Remy. 

Remy bit his lip, then forced his mental shields to drop. A nauseating mix of fear and fury washed over his unprotected mind. Remy ran off the plane and collapsed in the grass, his stomach heaving. 

"Remy!" Jean-Luc exclaimed, rushing to the boy's side. "What's wrong? Yo' hurt?" 

From the Blackbird Logan watched worriedly but seeing that Jean- Luc was taking care of things he turned back and shut the door. 

"Non," Remy said, after a few moments. Look up he smiled weakly. "Little more concern dan I could deal wid." 

Jean-Luc sighed with relief. "Den go to your room, stay put 'til I can figure out what to do wid de t'ree of yo'." 

****** ****** ****** 

Tante Mattie found Jean-Luc in his office staring out at the rising sun. 

"We raise dem to steal, break de rules, worry more 'bout gettin' caught den 'bout anyt'ing else," he said softly. "I tol' Lapin an' Pierre to stay de hell 'way from dat base, but dey jus' figured I was mad dat dey got caught. Merde, I knew dey were up to somet'ing, but I was so fuckin' happy dat Remy was 'kay wid us bein' t'ieves I let it slip. I gave him permission for dis idiot stunt. Makes it damn hard to punish him." 

"His amies saw to it he'll t'ink twice 'bout such t'ings in de future," Mattie said. 

"Dem," Jean-Luc said. "Xavier called, de man's got a talent for cuttin' yo' to pieces verbally. Probably doesn't help dat I t'ink he may have a fairly bien point. Dat aside, I can't count on dem to punish Remy when 'm supposed to be his guardian, either I am or 'm not." 

"Ain't dat simple Jean-Luc, de boy's a'ways goin' to be betwixt an' between," Mattie said. "Nevah quite ours, nevah totally deir's, I seen dat. Won' be de easiest place to be, mais it be where he belongs, eventually. As for tonight's goin' ons, what have yo' decided?" 

"Mais, as I understand it, dey came up wid dis stupidity 'cause dey were bored," Jean-Luc said. "I t'ink dey need a truer 'ppriciation of de word, an' Remy needs to start workin' on his re-wirin' skills in any case." 

****** ****** ****** 

"Remy, yo' got a phone call," Mercy yelled. 

"Dat mean I can come out of m' room?" Remy yelled downstairs. 

" 'Til yo're done talkin' anyway," Mercy called back. 

Remy came running down the hall a few minutes later, vaulting the banister and landing neatly beside her. " 'Lo 'm here," he said taking the phone. 

"Hey Remy," Scott said. "I heard you were sick after we left, you okay?" 

" 'M fine," Remy said. "Turns out de Professor's theory on how to open up 'm shields works pretty well when I actually want it too. Got a little overwhelmed." 

"Yeah, about that, I'm sorry about what I said, I was just..." 

"I know," Remy said. "Tol' yo' I took down m' shields, all de way down. Didn' read how yo' an' Logan were feelin', I felt it. You two an your Kitty-girl, I t'ink I caught some from Lapin, Pierre, Jean-Luc and de other pa'ents outside of de plane too. I know how upset yo'all were an' dat it was 'cause yo' care 'bout us. It was jus' more worry dan I could handle, dat's why I t'rew-up." 

"Well, just so you know. You ever do something that idiotic again and... damn, I don't know what I'll do to you, but I guarantee you'll regret it," Scott said. 

"Hear yo' loud an' clear Scotty," Remy said. "Glad yo' called, now I bettah get back to m' room. 'M still waitin' for Jean-Luc to figure out what he's gonna do to me for dis time." 

****** ****** ****** 

"Hey Remy," Lapin called out. "Welcome to the fun." 

"No talkin'," Henri said grinning evilly as he looked up from his book. "I believe Pere said yo' needed to rewire your security panels... what was it... a hundred times each." 

"Oui," Remy said accepting the panel and screwdriver Henri presented him. "Where are de rest of m' tools?" 

"What do yo' mean?" Henri asked innocently. 

"Mais, dis gonna take forevah," Remy complained frowning. 

"Dat be de general idea petite, an' 'til yo' finished dis be all yo' get to do outside of sleepin' and eatin'. So yo' best get started. An' like I 'minded Lapin here, no talkin' while yo' work." 

Remy sighed, taking a seat beside his two co-conspirators. 

****** ****** ****** 

"It appears Jean-Luc turned down my generosity and benevolence in offering him a chance to amend his ways," Candra said appearing in Remy's room. "Too bad for you little thief. I considered finishing what I started with your mother, but the I remembered I all but promised you'd be next and more than that, I never even gave you permission to exist." 

"Anyone tell yo' yo're all talk?" Remy asked quickly throwing a fan of charged cards at her, as he rolled to his feet and dove for the window. 

Candra contained the explosions and caught Remy in mid-air. A moment later she floated herself outside on a bubble of telekinetic power to face him. "You thought to run from me?" Candra laughed. "I am a god." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Remy sighed. "Yo' a god, not jus' a teke wid an ego problem, right." 

"You dare?" Candra began as the half deck of cards Remy had left on the sill behind her exploded, knocking the self-proclaimed goddess from the air. 

Her concentration disrupted Remy completed his jump, landing in a crouch in the flowerbed beneath his window. Even as he landed, he hit Candra with another hand of cards, keeping her off balance. 

"Jus' like fightin' Jeanie," he thought to himself. "Gotta keep her off balance, can't let her t'ink where de next blow be comin' from." 

"I will not be beaten by a mortal child," Candra hissed waving her hand and Remy felt the warm glow of his power stutter and die. A cold dread gripped his mind, but his body darted forward. A spinning kick to the temple left Candra reeling, then Remy locked an arm around her throat, cutting off the blood flow and oxygen to her brain. 

As Candra's struggles grew desperate a burst of light filled the air and Remy felt the chill sensation of one of Sinister's portals opening practically on top of him. 

Horrified Remy shoved Candra away from him and scrambled back from the portal. To his shock when the light faded, Sinister was nowhere to be seen and the portal had vanished taking the Benefactress with it. He sat there on the grass trying to make sense of what had happened as Jean-Luc, Henri and Mercy came running. 

"Petite, merci Dieu, yo' all right," Jean-Luc exclaimed pulling the boy into a hug. 

"Guess yo' showed her cuz," Henri said ruffling the younger boy's hair. 

Remy didn't reply, standing in the circle of Jean-Luc's arms, the boy's breath came in ragged pants and his body trembled, his family's voices seemed to come to him from an immense distance. 

"Petite?" Jean-Luc asked drawing back to examine the boy. "What's wrong Petite?" 

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	7. 7 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 7 

Jean-Luc stood in the doorway behind Remy and watched as the boy sitting on the steps filled the early morning sky with explosion after explosion. 

"All bettah?" he asked. 

"Dis is de mos' I can do, ain't anywhere near bettah," Remy said without looking away from his fireworks display. "Every time I turn 'round someone's screwing wid m' powers, makin' me weaker, more vulnerable. 'M sick of it!" The card in Remy's hand flared with his temper, barely leaving him time to throw it. 

The dark anger simmering behind Remy's eyes worried Jean-Luc. He crouched in from of the boy gripping his shoulders. "Yo' talk to your Oncle 'bout what wrong," he said. 

Remy shrugged free and turned away so he could go back to blowing up cards. "Rien's wrong. I dealt wid her, even widout m' powers," Remy said. "All de work wid Logan paid off. 'M delighted. An' yo' say it be coincidence she leave usin' Essex's method of travel, ain't worried in de slightest." 

"Your lyin' Petite," Jean-Luc said quietly. "It's a'right dat yo're scared an' angry, but yo' ain't tellin' me de whole story, talk to me." 

"I ain't scared!" Remy snapped sending a card into the ground a few feet away and showering them with dirt when it blew. 

"Remy, cut dis out!" Jean-Luc exclaimed grabbing the boy's wrists. "It's been four days an' yo' all over de place. One minute yo're in your room wid de door blocked up de next yo're screamin' mad at one of us, don' mattah if it be me, Mattie, Henri, Mercy, Lapin or who evah crosses yo're path at de wrong moment. I don' understand what's goin' wrong in your head an' 'm not lettin' yo' go till yo' 'xsplain it to me." 

"I. Lost. My. Powers." Remy said very slowly and clearly. 

"An' I busted up m' knee once," Jean-Luc said quietly. "I've been watching yo' petite, yo're getting bettah everyday. Dis isn't permanent an' yo' know it. If it were I could understand how yo're acting but it just an injury, its not going to last. So explain to me why yo're so bothered." 

Remy tried to jerk his hands fee and found them securely restrained. "Let me go," he said coldly. 

Jean-Luc sighed, relaxing his grip and sliding his hands up to rest loosely on Remy's shoulders again. " 'M worried 'bout yo'," he said. "I want to understand how I can help yo' deal wid dis." 

"Yo' can't," Remy said jumping up and pushing past Jean-Luc. 

****** ****** ****** 

Julian looked Candra up and down disdainfully. "I a'ready shot yo', don' dat give yo' your answer?" he asked. 

"It's too bad," Candra replied. "I always thought you had promise. I was looking forward to the time when you'd take over your Guild. Oh and I would have seen Belladonna in a proper match, with someone worthy of her. But you're allies with the Thieves now, maybe you don't mind her current choice in suitors. 

Inwardly Candra grinned at the anger fueled flush that spread across Julian's face. "In fact they're together right now, very much together," she said giving Julian a significant look. "I'm sure he'll walk her home after they're done." 

****** ****** ****** 

Belle scowled at her singed shirtsleeve. She'd greeted Remy in their typical style of semi-playful ambush and had barely been able to avoid the fully charged card he'd thrown in response. 

"Little jumpy tonight?" she asked raising an eyebrow. 

" 'M sorry Belle," Remy said. "Having a bad night, bad week, 'kay?" 

"Yo' look it, cher," Belle said frankly. 

"Didn' ask your 'pinion," Remy said. 

"Yo' should of," Belle replied. "Come on, got a place I like to go when 'm feeling frazzled." 

Curious Remy followed the lithe blond across the city's rooftops to a small church. A statue of an angel stood in a recessed alcove beneath the steeple and Belle quickly knotted the church bell's pull rope around a convenient bit of iron work and swung across to the shelf at the angel's feet. Remy duplicated her path then the two of them spent a few minutes maneuvering to get comfortable in the limited space. They ended up with Belle sitting between Remy's knees, leaning back against his chest. 

Remy tilted his head back, looking up at the angel's outspread wings above them while he toyed idly with Belle's multitude of braids. 

They sat there together in silence until the sun came up. 

"Belle, yo' evah t'ink 'bout what your family does?" Remy asked quietly. 

"Yo' mean killin'," Belle said. "Some, de way I figure it, we ain't cheap, anybody someone's willin' to spend dat much to get rid of; dey probably deserve it. Not dat I've done it yet. Dere aren't many femme Assassins, Singer and I had to do some damage 'fore anybody'd take us serious an' I t'ink Daddy might be puttin' off m' original sanction." 

"Mais yo' don' check," Remy argued. "Yo' don' know dey deserve it." 

"We bes' get," Belle said. "People bound to be gettin' worried." 

Remy grabbed the bell rope from where they'd hung it over the angel's arm, letting the subject drop. 

"How'd yo' get to town?" Remy asked once they'd gotten down. 

"Rode in wid Delores. She and Lapin were happily flirtin' when I lef'," Belle said. "Mais, she knew I was lookin' for yo', she won' have waited for me." 

Several minutes later Belle's expression turned impressed when Remy pulled out the keys to Henri's motorcycle. 

Remy grinned a little. "Henri's don' know it, but Jean-Luc gave me a few pointers 'bout pickin' pockets too. Dey work bien." 

"Very bien," Belle replied mounting up behind him. 

****** ****** ****** 

When Belle climbed in her bedroom window she found Delores crashed out on her bed. With an evil grin the blond girl went to the bathroom and moments later returned with a dripping wet washcloth. 

Delores woke up sputtering with outrage. Belle just laughed. 

"You're in a good mood," Delores said shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "What you get up to wid your t'ief-boy dat took all night?" 

"Jus' sat," Belle said smiling a little. "Remy was upset 'bout somet'ing or other, took him to m' quiet spot, t'ink it made him feel bettah." 

"Sounds like you care 'bout de boy," Delores said. "T'ought dis was all a game, dat you just wanted to see how far he'd take dis Romeo and Juliet crap." 

Belle shrugged. "Remy's fun to be wid, he ain't scared of rien, he 'kay wid me bein' jus' Belle. All m' life everyone defines me by m' family. Sometimes I get tired of bein' Belladonna Boudreaux of de Assassins Guild. I can laugh wid Remy, he ain't scared of offendin' me or what m' daddy might do to him." 

"Oh Merde! Dat's why I was waiting for you," Delores interrupted. "Julian and 'bout six of his friends are going to ambush Remy, it's probably already happened." 

A look of alarm on her face Belle dove back out the window, she tore down the tree and hit the ground running. 

She knew where they would be, where the best spot for an ambush would be and Delores was right, Remy would have already gotten there. 

The first thing she saw as she came on the site was Henri's bike, laid out in the road, the front tire shot out. Then she heard the sound of fighting in the swamp off to her left. 

Remy stood in the center of the group, using both explosions and bo staff to hold off the seven assassins. Belle paused for a moment to appreciate his grace and speed as he twisted to throw a lightly charged card, knocking away two of his assailants then warded off the knife of third with a sweep of his staff. 

"Handsome an' dangerous," Belle said to herself approvingly as she moved to join the fight. 

With Belle standing at Remy's side, bare steel in her hand, the fight paused. 

"Get out of de way Belle," one of Julian's friends said. 

"Or we'll go t'ough yo'," Julian added receiving startled looks from his followers. "I won' see yo' consortin' wid dis t'ief trash no more, no mattah what it takes." 

"Dat de way yo' want to play it Jules?" Belle asked. "If Remy don' walk 'way from dis, I swear none yo' will." 

Several of the Assassins wavered. Like magic a fan of glowing cards appeared in Remy's hand. " 'M pretty shor I could kill yo' all m'self, if it came to dat," Remy said quietly. "Don' like to kill, me, but if it's a choice 'tween me or yo', it gonna be yo'." 

"Not likely T'ief," Julian said. When the Assassins advanced Remy threw his cards into the ground at their feet, tossing about half of them to the ground several feet back. 

Belle's thrown knife embedded itself to the hilt in the shoulder of one of their attackers. Before anyone could take advantage of her momentarily unarmed state a second knife sprung to her hand. 

Remy started as his bo staff passed through one of the Assassins without resistance. The other teen grinned at him and launched a strike of his own. 

At the last second Remy brought up his staff to block and felt a measure of satisfaction and relief as their weapons clashed. In that moment the Assassin shrieked and fell, a deep slash across the breath of his back. 

"Careless of yo' Fifelot," Belle commented, his blood dripping from her knife. 

Remy faced off with Julian as Belle turned to her opponent. The three Remy had blasted at the start of the fight were shakily climbing to their feet, staring at their bleeding compatriots. 

Julian drew a sword and Remy shifted his grip on his staff preparing to meet him. 

Belle dove under her opponent's blow and rolled to her knees at his feet, her blade sinking into his gut. As he fell she turned to the other three, drops of blood sprinkled across her face like a grotesque parody of freckles. "Pick up your friends an' take dem to Tante Mattie 'fore dey bleed to deat'," she said. 

A dark haired Assassin nodded and they moved to follow her orders. 

The ringing of steel on adamantium filled the air as Remy and Julian fought. The edge on Julian's blade kept Remy wary but with his staff he had a longer reach. 

They traded blows rapidly. Julian sliced viciously at Remy who jumped back, letting him cut harmlessly at the empty air. The force of the swing opened Julian's guard as it carried him off balance and Remy risked committing himself fully to a blow, knowing if Julian dodged he'd be the one who'd be vulnerable to attack. 

The weighted end of Remy's staff cracked resoundingly against Julian's skull and Belle's brother collapsed bonelessly to the ground. 

"I t'ink I hit him too hard," Remy said staring down at Julian's limply sprawled body with concern. 

"Not possible," Belle snorted. "De boy's head be much too hard for dat. Now get yourself home, I'll deal wid dis." 

"Yo' shor ma Belle?" Remy asked. 

"Cher, yo' jus' worry 'bout what Henri's gonna do when he sees his bike," Belle replied. "Now git." 

****** ****** ****** 

Jean-Luc hung up the phone with a sigh. "Marius is damn mad," he told Henri. "Four of his bes' up-an'-comin' seriously laid up." 

"Dey 'ttacked Remy!" Henri protested. "Did yo' see m' bike? Dey were shootin' at him!" 

"D'accord, an' Marius' own fille did more damage dan Remy," Jean-Luc said. "Dey're still waitin' for Julian to wake from de cracked skull an' Fifolet might be crippled. Marius can't do anyt'ing less he wants Belle to suffer de same punishment, but dat don' make him any less upset." 

"Who cares," Henri said. "We punish Remy for takin' off and everybody jus' forgets all de res'." 

"Firs', I care," Jean-Luc said. "Dis alliance ain't 'xactly set in stone. An' second, I ain't punishin' Remy for takin' off. De boy's more stable dan I seen him since de Benefactress' 'ttack. I don' know him well 'nough to know what he needs to pull hisself together. Still t'ink he should talk to me. De way he reacted, dere's somet'ing else goin' on. I even called Xavier," Jean-Luc's expression twisted with disgust. "He says if I can't deal wid Remy I should send him back early." 

"Yo' ain't goin' to?" Henri asked frowning. 

"Non," Jean-Luc said. "If Remy gave de word, I wouldn' send him back t'all. Don' care for dis 'post-human' stuff none. For de last century de Guilds have managed to do a credible job of raisin' de mutant chilen born every generation. I figure we got as much, if not more, 'xperiance in dealin' wid dis type of t'ing. All I wanted to know was if somet'ing had happened to Remy and he acts like 'm incompetent." 

"Northerners," Henri said with a shrug. 

"Non, arrogant son's of bitches be de same no mattah where dey come from," Jean-Luc replied. "Jus' now I hate havin' to rely on Remy's judgment 'bout what's best for him, 'cause I can see his judgment ain't too sound at de moment, but I'm not bein' given much choice an' he does seem bettah." 

"It'll work out," Henri said reassuringly. 

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	8. 8 of 8

**Guild Life**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 8 

"Hear yo' put a dent in an Assassin," Lapin whispered to Remy as they worked on completing their punishment for stealing the jet. 

Pierre got up and walked to the white board to cross off another repetition. 

"Had an Assassin's help," Remy whispered back with a quick glance toward Mercy, who was taking her turn at over seeing them. 

"So Belladonna really helped yo' out?" Lapin asked. 

"De girl came t'rough like de calvary," Remy said. 

"I guess she really mus' like yo'," Lapin replied. "Standin' up wid yo' 'gainst her people, who'd of t'ought it." 

Remy looked thoughtful. "T'ink yo' be right," he said. "I like her too. Bein' wid her, if yo're not flyin' yo're fallin', mos' of de time literally." 

"Shush," Mercy said. "Yo' ain't supposed to be gossipin'." 

"Come on Mercy, don' be such a hard-line," Lapin pled. 

"Don' be such a hooligan an' I won' have to be," Mercy replied. "Yo' got off light an' yo' know it, so don' be complainin', yo' could be dead." 

" 'M shushin', 'm shushin'," Lapin sighed. "One petite t'ing goes wrong an' people act like it be de end of de world." 

"Work!" Mercy barked. 

"Slave driver," Lapin shot back. 

"Jus' let me get m' whip." 

His expression appropriately remorseful Remy walked up to mark off his forty-sixth repletion and silently went back to his table. 

"Why can't yo' behave, like Remy and Pierre?" Mercy asked Lapin. 

When his back was to her Remy grinned smugly at Lapin. 

"Kiss up," Lapin mouthed. 

"I read lips too," Mercy reminded him frowning. 

"Can't get rien past yo'," Lapin sighed, fighting not to grin. 

"Like de fact yo' still ain't shut up?" Mercy asked. "Non, yo' can't. I t'ink mebbe I jus' erase a few of dese marks." 

"Mercy!" Lapin cried. 

"An' yo' still ain't quiet," Mercy pointed out. 

Lapin made a zipping his lips gesture and focused intently on his board. 

****** ****** ****** 

Three dark forms crept through the shadows toward the Assassin headquarters. 

In the silence the crack as the second one stepped on a branch seemed unnaturally loud. Their massive leader turned to glare at the man with yellow cat-like eyes. 

"Sorry," his shorter teammate whispered. 

The large man yanked him close. "You better be worth the trouble screw-up," he hissed. "If you expect to come back alive." 

"He's not worth anything," last member of party, a purple haired woman said. 

"Your not exactly in good graces yourself Arclight," the shorter of the two men replied. 

When they reached the outer security perimeter the small man pressed his hand to one of the sensors, throughout the system sparks burst from panels and circuitry fried. 

The larger man barked a command into his comm. and on that signal dozens of attackers rushed the mansion. 

"Well my part's done." 

"Keep movin' Scrambler, you're on probation and I'm here to see that ya earn your keep." 

"Look Sabretooth, this is your kind of thing, not mine," Scrambler complained. "These people are Assassins, only a handful of them have powers for me to screw with and they're primitive, they use crossbows more often than guns and I can't even effect the guns. Lasers fine, guns no, they're too simple. What do you want me to do against them?" 

"I'd be happy if you died quietly," Sabretooth said. "Now move, before I do you in myself." 

****** ****** ****** 

Marius nodded approvingly when he opened the door to find himself staring down Belladonna's leveled crossbow. "Good girl," he said. 

"We got a plan Daddy?" she asked. 

"De security been breached, we're heavily outnumbered an' at leas' one of deir guys won' stay down," Marius sighed. "We're fallin' back. Jean-Luc's a'ready gatherin' his people, dey haven' been hit yet. We'll regroup dere." 

"Goin'," Belle replied. 

Marius caught Belle's arm for a moment. "I don' have to tell yo'..." 

"If I get de chance take some of dem down on m' way," Belle said. 

"Be careful fillis," Marius finished. "Yo' only t'ink yo're immortal." 

"Not m' style Daddy," Belle said grinning wickedly. "See yo' at de T'ieves', we'll compare kill scores." 

Marius watched as Belle darted into the night. "Someday girl dat attitude gonna get yo' in more trouble dan even yo' can handle, jus' hope dat's day's a long time comin'." 

****** ****** ****** 

"Hope yo' all ready for a fight?" Jean-Luc asked wryly, looking around at his assembled Guild. "De remainin' Assassins be one deir way here an' if I hear tell of any feud nonsense I'll have pieces of de trouble maker's hide, d'accord?" 

He waited for a sign of acknowledgement from the Guild. "Yo' know where yo're supposed to be, when de Assassins get here have dem reinforce our thin spots. Mattie's got a med-station set-up in de dinnin' room, send any injured dere an' if yo' see Delores Robeaux send her dat way as well." 

"Where do I go?" Remy asked. 

"Go wid Henri to de east wing," Jean-Luc said. 

****** ****** ****** 

Belle's head spun, her desperate grasp on the branch she'd lightly run across moments earlier was the only thing saving her from a nasty fall. 

Directly below her a woman with green and white hair grinned and the waves of nausea and disorientation intensified. 

Belle lost her dinner, but kept her perch. 

"Yuck!" Vertigo exclaimed loosing focus. 

Making the most of the momentary reprieve Belle tossed three of her knives at the Marauder in quick succession. The first went wide but the second sunk into Vertigo's back. 

Belle climbed down the tree and reclaimed her weapons of choice. 

She paused for a moment kneeling over the green-haired mutant's body, "Not too good at dis where yo'?" She said. "Even if I'd fallen, I still would of taken yo' down, simply by fallin' on yo'. Pathetic, yo' deserved what yo' got." 

"So what do you deserve?" A voice behind Belle asked. 

Caught off guard Belle spun, who she saw dropped her guard even further, "Genard Alouette? But yo're a T'ief, 'fore de Benefactress..." 

The name stirred something in the man Belle faced, for a moment his expression clouded over with something like confusion. "I serve my lady," he said, his face clearing into mindless obedience, but the moment's hesitation had given Belle the chance she needed to collect herself and meet him steel to steel. 

They traded blows for a few minutes before Belle managed to gain the upper hand, at the last second she reversed her knife and brought the hilt down on Genard's temple, knocking him out cold. 

"Yo' goin' give us some answers," she said, as she bound the unconscious man. "If yo' can come back den so can all de others." 

Once she was done Belle set off again, cursing under her breath as she fought to drag the unconscious man along with her. 

****** ****** ****** 

Gris-Gris was a shadow among shadows. He'd heard the order to fall back but he wasn't ready to leave yet. 

He spotted another shadowy form creeping through the mansion and raised a blowgun to his lips, a moment later the invader dropped without a sound. 

Gris-Gris lowered the blowgun, smirking. 

"Clever," A rough voice growled. 

Gris-Gris turned to see a blond lion looming over him, smiling predatorily. He jumped back, but Sabretooth's claws still gutted him. Even as he collapsed Gris-Gris threw a bag of powder into the feral mutant in the face. Sabretooth inhaled before he thought then he paused, blinking a few times before turning to wander off in a daze, leaving the mortally wounded Assassin behind. 

****** ****** ****** 

Lapin spotted the pair of girls staggering toward his position and ran out to help them. " 'Lores, yo' 'kay?" he called. 

"Singer's shot," Delores said. "Did what I could and bought her here." 

Lapin scooped Singer up and started toward the house, Delores following behind. "We'll get her to Tante Mattie, she'll be 'kay, you'll see," he said, then, hesitantly added. " 'M glad yo' didn't get hurt." 

Delores blushed a little, glancing down with a tired smile "Dere any other wounded here yet?" she asked, her training taking over. 

"Yeah, three, mebbe four," Lapin said, waiting for Delores to open the door for him. "Don' know who, but de worst news is dere be a lot of people missin'." 

"Dey'll come," Delores said as she stripped off her blood soaked jacket and started rolling up her sleeves. "Marius gave permission to do damage on de way out. Most Assassins won't retreat till dey kill someone." 

"Well, best of luck to dem," Lapin said laying Singer on a table. 

Mattie came over and started checking the girl's injuries. "Bien work Delores, yo' bes' be getting yo'self sterile, we're goin' to be havin' a busy night." 

Lapin gulped as he looked past Mattie to see another Assassin, his torso apparently ripped opened by some sort of animal. "I be gettin' back to m' post," he said. 

****** ****** ****** 

"Marius, glad yo' could make it," Jean-Luc said. "We brought in Julian and de others when we got Mattie. Belle ain't gotten in yet." 

Marius nodded, his expression taunt. "As bes' I can tell dere be around seventy of dem. A mutant strike team an' de res'... dey're our people Jean-Luc, de one de Benefactress took from us. Some of dem I 'member from when we were chilen, others I recognize from pictures. Dey haven' aged an' dey don' know us. Dey came back to kill us." 

"We knew she took dem for a reason, we knew brain-washin' was a possibility," Jean-Luc said. 

"Knowin' ain't de same as facin' it," Marius said. "I killed a chil'hood ami tonight." 

"Je desole, mais we do what we mus'," Jean-Luc replied. "T'ings are ready for her. When she comes, it'll be for us, so we bes' be in position." 

******* ****** ****** 

"Dey're here," Remy said to Henri. 

"Good eyes cuz," Henri said. "Yo' all ready?" 

One of the Thieves raised a crossbow and fired at an advancing shadow. 

"Guess dat answers dat," Remy said. 

After a few long range exchanges the battle went hand to hand. Fighting back to back with Henri to protect their family, Remy felt a rush of excitement, wild and strong. It felt like belonging, it felt like the pieces falling into place. 

Across the yard he caught a glimpse of a man who'd gotten past their lines and was scaling the house wall. "Henri," Remy shouted pointing. 

"T'ink yo' can deal wid it?" Henri asked. 

"Oui!" 

"Den go," Henri ordered. "I'll come when it slows out here." 

Remy was already running toward the stairs. In the back of his mind he realized he was headed toward Josette's room and just as quickly he dismissed it as a consideration, he might hate his mother, but he didn't wish her dead. 

He rounded the corner just in time to see Scrambler outlined against the night sky. A wholly irrational level of terror rose in Remy, freezing him in his tracks. 

"Well looky here," Arclight purred stepping out of the shadows as she turned away from the room she'd been about to enter. "The little street-rat we wasted so much time hunting, the reason I got killed. I'm going to enjoy this." 

The woman's malevolent voice snapped Remy out of his paralysis and he began to move to fight her, but his pause cost him. Before he could react her, Arclight's fist impacted his jaw with a sickening crack. 

Reeling from the blow Remy had no chance to dodge her follow up kick. He screamed at the feel of ribs breaking and fell to his knees. 

Arclight paused letting him see her intent, Remy fought back against the pain, knowing that with her strength a kick to the head could easily break his neck. Then a gun barked. Arclight fell in a spray of brains and blood. Remy found himself staring at Josette. As she lowered the gun into her lap, a look of understanding if not affection passed between mother and son. 

"Still one lef'," Remy reminded himself. Concentrating on the fear Scrambler stirred in him, Remy projected it into the other mutant's mind. 

Scrambler cringed back. 

Remy forced himself back to his feet and wrapped himself in the fire of his power. 

Scrambler threw himself back out the window screaming with terror. 

A choked laugh forced itself past Remy's lips as he slumped back against the wall. "Couldn' take what yo' dish hein?" he said to himself, groaning with pain as he wrapped his arms around his broken ribs. 

****** ****** ****** 

"Everybody back to de house," Henri ordered helping an injured friend retreat. "Pierre, tell Jean-Luc de wing's los'. Belize, take Paul an' start clearin' de area of any other injured." 

The remaining Thieves quickly took defensible positions. 

"Jus' 'member losin's part of de plan," Henri said to himself. "Nevah t'ought so many would die dough. Why doesn' she come a'ready?" 

****** ****** ****** 

Belle stood in the last deep shadows of the swamp, Genard lying at her feet as she watched the battle raging on the lawn of the Lebeaus' home. 

"How 'm I supposed to get 'cross dat wid yo'," she wondered out loud. 

Genard glared up at her, anything he had to say muffled by the gag stuffed between his teeth. 

"Guess I'll jus' have to stow yo' somewhere. De 'gators might get yo' but not much of a loss, dere be plenty of other prospects for interrogation, hien?" she decided dragging him toward a fallen tree trunk. 

Once that was done Belle threw herself into the battle with a cheerful abandon, blasting through the lines to join the allied Guilds against Candra's brainwashed soldiers. 

****** ****** ****** 

Candra came with the dawn, floating above the battlefield. A volley of projectiles veered off target as they approached her position, their inertia loosing out to her telekinesis. 

Jean-Luc glanced over at Marius. "Some demotion hien? Leader to bait." 

A smile tugged at Marius' lips as he watched Candra approach. 

"Now do you see the cost of..." Candra began. 

"Mercy!" Jean-Luc yelled. 

"It's too late for that," Candra said. 

"He meant me, yo' idiot," Mercy said as her team launched globules of a thick gelatinous substance at Candra. She laughed; reaching out with her telekinesis to deflect the substance then frowned when she felt a strong counter force resisting her efforts. 

"Jus' call it de Magneto-effect," Mercy said, patting the controls to the electro-magnet she'd activated on Jean-Luc's signal. 

"What was this supposed to do?" Candra asked arrogantly when her power and the magnetic field reached a stalemate. 

The gelatinous material spread to form a shell along the boundary where Candra's powers became stronger than the Thieves' magnetic field. One of Mercy's team lit the substance on fire. The Thieves and Assassins fell back from the intense heat as Candra screamed and the stench of roasting flesh filled the air. 

This time there was no burst of light or sound, a swirling portal into darkness simply opened, spiriting away the burning sphere that contained the Benefactress. As the portal began to close Scrambler broke from the crowds and leapt through it at the last moment. Candra's remaining soldiers stared after their fallen Goddess in shock. Demoralized they fell easily to the Thieves and Assassins, leaving them with a costly victory for the right to determine their own future. 

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	9. Epilog

**Live like there's No Tomorrow**

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

A small smile played around Jean-Luc's mouth as he stood back and watched Remy work. Dressed in a black, insignia-free body suit the boy was little more than a darker outline against dark bushes as he scanned the exterior of the building, looking for the small grated window he'd picked out of the building's blueprints weeks ago while he waited for his broken ribs and jaw to finish healing to his Oncle's satisfaction. 

Spotting the entry point Remy attached the small binoculars to his belt even as he readied the grappling hook. Remy sprinted lightly across the compound then fired. The grapple lodged firmly in the mortar above the window frame. Jean-Luc paused for a moment to make an approving note of the boy's easy, acrobatic grace as he climbed; little waste of energy, smooth flowing movements that naturally blended with the shadows, before following him. 

Jean-Luc joined Remy on the window ledge a few moments later and motioned for him to wait until the more experienced thief could disarm the electronic security system. That done Jean-Luc moved aside to let Remy deal with the physical barriers hindering their entry. Remy cut through the bolts that held the grating in place then placed his open hand against the glass. He took a deep breath and a moment later the window's latch took on a slight glow and began jiggling. 

"Not 'nough area to push 'gainst," Remy whispered to himself. With an amused smile Jean-Luc handed Remy a slip of metal. Blushing a little the boy slid it through a crack in the window and opened the latch. 

Remy let Jean-Luc enter first, pulling their ropes inside with him, then stepped inside, moving the grate back in place as he did so, preventing a casual glance from the guards patrolling the grounds from giving them away. 

The 'house' they were breaking into seemed more like a fortress to Remy. Once inside the building the pair squeezed into a ventilation shaft to evade the next line of defenses. Jean-Luc signaled for Remy to lead the way with a slightly challenging grin. After several minutes of crawling through the tight space, Remy removed another granting and lowered himself head first from the ventilation shaft till he hung from his knees into the room below. 

Just inches above his live of sight there was a security panel set into the wall. Remy glanced back up at Jean-Luc, who gestured for him to go ahead. Remy took off it's cover and handed it up to Jean- Luc then looked over the wiring he'd revealed and shook his head, his teeth gleaming in the dim light as he shot his Oncle a quick grin and rapidly rewired the panel, which was an exact duplicate of the one he'd rewired a hundred times before in the aftermath of his, Lapin and Pierre's little joyride. 

Jean-Luc shrugged innocently as if to say "What a coincidence," but his eyes gleamed with a wicked amusement that matched Remy's own mischievous spirit. 

Once that was done Remy dropped into the room, twisting as he fell to land in a crouch. Jean-Luc dropped soundless into the room to land beside his nephew. 

The office they stood in was opulent. Jean-Luc shook his head at the overdone show of wealth. 

Remy hopped onto the desk and perched there impudently as he removed the portrait that hung over it and set to work cracking the safe it had hidden. Jean-Luc stood by patiently as he watched frustration cloud Remy's expression. When Remy snatched off his stethoscope and prepared to hurl it across the room, Jean-Luc reached out to place a calming hand on the boy's shoulder, he smiled encouragingly and gestured back to the safe. 

Remy took a few deep breaths and returned to his task, several minutes later the safe door swung open. He swept the jewels and money he found into a pouch on his belt, then reached out with his powers to reduce the packet of drugs he'd also discovered in the safe to a pile of ashes. 

Remy smirked in satisfaction as the white powder was incinerated; during his years on the streets he'd seen too many victims of chemicals like that one. Jean-Luc gave him an approving smile and they moved on to the next room. The liquid assets were always nice and the safe had been a good test for Remy, but Jean-Luc's primary objective for the night was a rather valuable piece of artwork the owner had recently acquired. 

The painting had been hung in the living room. Jean-Luc signaled Remy to allow him to remove the canvas from its frame. While he worked Remy wandered into the kitchen, he returned munching on a slice of pizza. "Remy!" Jean-Luc hissed reprovingly. 

"What? I was hungry," Remy whispered. "It's not like we're not robbin' de place anyways." 

Jean-Luc rolled his eyes heavenward and resolved to have a few words with the teen about professionalism as soon as the circumstances allowed. He rolled up the canvas and slipped it into a tube strapped across his back, then the pair retraced their path back outside to where Jean-Luc had left a rental car. 

As they drove back toward New Orleans with several thousand dollars in cash and jewels, the painting, worth easily three times that and Remy's slice of cold pizza, Jean-Luc thought how glad he was that he'd decided to personally train Remy as a thief. 

Spending time with the teen was a shining bright spot in days otherwise filled with concerns about the Benefactress' inevitable return, the apparently hopeless task of freeing Genard Allouet and the rest of Candra's soldiers from her brainwashing and the delicate balancing act that he and Marius engaged in to maintain their alliance now that the immediate threat had passed. 

Remy was bright, engaging and Jean-Luc was seriously tempted to try to talk him into staying, but with the Marauders' involvement in the attack there was little doubt that Sinister knew where Remy was and Jean-Luc was a little concerned about how Remy wasn't reacting to that fact. 

Jean-Luc had found Remy shortly after Mattie had finished binding his ribs and wiring his jaw in the aftermath of the battle. 

When he saw Jean-Luc Remy had grabbed the pad of paper Mattie had left him and scribbled out a question. "What do you do?" he'd asked. "When you find everything you want and it belongs to someone who you hate?" 

"I'm a t'ief Remy," Jean-Luc had replied. "I steal it away." 

Remy had managed a nod of agreement and that was when Jean-Luc had noticed the glint in his dark, burning eyes; determined, reckless and wild. 

Jean-Luc was certain he could convince Remy to stay; he wouldn't be ready to enroll in classes when the fall term started but by winter break he'd be up with his grade level, even in lit, Remy would certainly be happy to join Lapin, Belle and his other friends, even if it was in school. Remy also showed every sign of enjoying being a thief, keeping him nearby would certainly make it easier to continue his lessons in other subjects which weren't taught in school and which Xavier wouldn't approve of. And Jean-Luc believed Remy loved being a part of a family again as much as he loved having his family together again for the first time in twelve years. 

He could convince Remy to stay, he just wasn't sure that he should. It certainly wouldn't hurt anyone if Remy where to be elsewhere when Sinister's creatures started snooping around. Still he would have been willing to take the risk, if he'd believed Remy would take sufficient precautions. Jean-Luc hadn't worried about that when he first brought Remy to New Orleans, but things changed, Remy had apparently exorcised the concept of caution from his brain. 

He was rapidly replacing Lapin as the ringleader for the teenage set. Thankfully there hadn't been another jet, but night they spent drag racing with police cars wasn't a notable improvement. Still Jean-Luc had to admit to a certain degree of amusement the following day when the police had realized the teens had also rewired the sirens to play pop tunes. 

And with Belladonna's help Remy was getting their opposites in the Assassin's Guild to join in their stunts. "Good for the future of the Unified Guilds," Jean-Luc thought. "Bad for the sanity of their elders not to mention what it was doing to the city's Police force now that the two groups weren't keeping each other busy anymore." 

Jean-Luc was a little surprised at how well Marius was taking Remy and Belle's continued relationship but he wasn't complaining. Still it was only a matter of time until Julian stopped nursing his hurt pride and started more trouble, but when Remy couldn't be bothered to worry about Sinister, convincing him to watch himself around Belle's older brother wasn't likely. Or apparently convincing him to take jobs seriously, but there were always other tactics. 

Several miles down the road they stopped to restore the vehicle's original plates. 

"Away clean an' clear," Remy said proudly. 

"Yo' did bien, petite. Mais dere is one t'ing I should mention.. raiding de man's refrigerator?" Jean-Luc sighed. "Dat jus' lacks class." 

" 'Kay a'ready, I won' do it 'gain, yo' happy?" Remy asked. 

"Very. Now 'bout yo' goin' back North in 'nother week; Yo' shor dat your mail be private in dat place?" Jean-Luc asked. "I don' want yo' havin' to 'xplain why 'm sendin' yo' blueprints, 'mong other t'ings." 

" 'M shor," Remy said. 

"Cause if not, yo' can a'ways set up a box at de post office," Jean-Luc continued, wanting to be sure that Remy didn't think insecure mail would put an end to their plans for furthering his apprenticeship even while he was away at school. 

"De 'paths be too stuck-up to snoop like a normal person," Remy said. "An' de other's wouldn'." 

"If yo're certain," Jean-Luc replied. "I'll send de background 'bout a month 'fore I want us to do de job. Yo' don' try it on your own jus' yet, oui?" 

"An' mess up your 'xcuse for visitin'? I t'ink not," Remy replied smiling. 

Jean-Luc shook his head, "I don' need an 'xcuse to visit m' one an' only nephew. Popular 'pinion aside, dere are a number of people who know what yo' and your friends been up to. Even de police know who it was dat relocated de Social Services' offices to de jail cells, dey jus' don' want to admit dat it was a bunch of kids dat waltzed t'rough deir security. An' don' yo' t'ink dat little prank was a bit over de top?" 

Remy grinned, "Mais it was very entertainin'. We rigged cameras to catch deir 'xpressions too." 

" 'M shor it was," Jean-Luc said. "Jus' don' get in too much trouble while yo're at school, don' want to be givin' dat Professor of yours fit or anyt'ing do we?" But the tone of Jean-Luc's voice that suggested he really wouldn't mind getting a call from Xavier asking for help in dealing with Remy. 

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